Ireland vs Wales
8th February 14:15 hrs
Rugby – Ireland – Six Nations
Pick Wales
Bookmaker Marathonbet
Odds: 6/4 odds taken 21:14 GMT, Thursday 6th February
Ireland put in a home win last weekend in the opening round of Six Nations 2020 action. It came against Scotland but it was not a very convincing win. They will again likely be tested heavily in Dublin as Wales visit this weekend.
Table of Contents
Irish fail to convince in 2020 opener
Ireland were at home against Scotland last weekend. It was Andy Farrell’s first game in charge of the men in green and it didn’t go great. Yes, Ireland put the win on the board, but they were second best for large chunks of the fixture.
Only a few bits of very sound defensive work from Ireland in the first half prevented them from potentially going in at the break with a deficit.
Captain Johnny Sexton got all of their points in the match. After the controlled kick and chase tactics from predecessor Joel Schmidt, Farrell now has to try and create a new identity for the Irish.
The big wonder is whether or not he will roll the dice and get them playing a much more attractive, open game. They looked, on a whole, to be a little bit directionless against Scotland. Will he start putting more trust into the younger players who are going to be leading them into the future?
Peter O’Mahony and Robbie Henshaw are coming into the starting line up against Wales. They are sticking with Conor Murray at scrum-half who had a bit of a nightmare against Scotland last weekend. Ireland have won only one of their last five Six Nations matches against Wales. That was in their most recent hosting though, a thrilling 37-27 win in 2018.
More to come from Wales
Wales took down Italy in their 2020 Six Nations opener. A match that they were always going to win. It was a steady enough start for new head coach Wayne Pivac who has replaced Warren Gatland.
Wales took a 42-0 home success over the Azzurri in that fixture, but that was without them doing fantastically in the scrum. They are going to have to be more disciplined in Dublin as well as a bit more physical.
But that was a good workout for Wales nonetheless, a chance to get a bit of match sharpness back. They are the reigning Grand Slam Champions after all, and they are going to have some decent claims to win this game, especially after how unconvincing Ireland were last week against Scotland.
Bet365: Six Nations Offer
Visit Bet365’s Six Nations Offer
Wales have three wins and a draw in their last five games against Ireland (L1). So the head to head is slightly in their favour from their most recent meetings. They will have worked on their scrummaging issues from their game against Italy.
The breakdown is going to produce a fascinating contest in Dublin. Wales may well hold the kicking advantage and even though they have lost defensive coach Shaun Edwards, they probably still boast the best defensive line in the Six Nations.
Ireland vs Wales Betting Advice
Wales is well worth a look in this one. They have only lost one of their last five games against Ireland for starters. That’s big and that was a nice warm up for them last weekend at home against Italy. There’s room for improvement, but it was better the mistakes happened against Italy than Ireland the other way around.
Key Facts – Ireland vs Wales Betting Tip
- Ireland won their last home match against Wales 37-27 in 2018
- Ireland narrowly beat Scotland at home last weekend
- Wales are W3 D1 L1 in their last five Six Nations games against Ireland
Wales are quicker, they have a better running game and are likely going to be the stronger of the two in defence. With Ireland looking for a new identity, Wales may have a new head coach as well, but they look as if they are not facing as big of a transition as the Irish. Wales to win.
The best betting odds for Ireland vs Wales
Ireland to win: 5/8 at Bet365
Draw: 22/1 at Bet365
Wales: 6/4 at Bet365
